Though the exterior of the caravan is smooth and glasslike, allowing for solar energy harvesting, the interior of the caravan is more rural with wood and stone materials used to craft a small isolated township. Like any other caravan, the entire lower level of the Pale Horse Caravan is dedicated to the Market Center. It is a tall, soaring space that is about thirty feet in height with a series of glowing lights inset in the vaulted ceilings that simulates natural light. This shared space has dozens of shops and restaurants circled around an indoor courtyard garden. There are two broad ramps at the fore and rear of the sprawling market. They are floored in rough rubber carpeting that tranistions onto the hard and durable flooring crafted from wide slats of Arborenin elderwood. The substructures have facades of stone and wood with simple and subdued signage. Of these structures is a grocers, several specialty shops, and the famous Pale Horse tavern. There are several staircases and zigzagging rampways that lead up into the residential levels of the Caravan.

13 July 3013

Rebecca returned earlier today from a scouting mission with Lady Lieutenant Aelewen Arboren. The pair ended up tracking a Hostile scout into the Forlorn Swamps, and brought back two Hostile corpses. Not a bad day all considered. The flame-haired citizen is currently at one of the market stalls, her daughter balanced on her hip, as she haggles with a smith to repair the dent in the breastplate she has set on his counter. "It's not that big of a dent, Roy. And I brought back two Hostiles, doesn't that get me a hero discount?" she asks with a grin, as little Sophia pulls on her ponytail.

Nimara steps out from one of the adjacent restaurants to the market. Wearing almost identical white robes as she is another woman, older, with a smile made of plaster. "And do you think it will be reciprocated?" the older woman asks Nimara, a much younger, raven-haired woman. Nimara shrugs. "Pitch it as convincingly, as perhaps someone will listen. Good evening to you, Senator." The young senator steps towards the stalls, her shoulders relaxing as she looks towards some of the armoring stalls. There, her brown eyes turn to the woman and she smiles first to the infant on her hip. "Impressive," she says to herself.

Lionel the Mane is striding with confidence and bravado down one of the ramps from the neighborhood blocks in the upper levels of the Pale Horse. He has just recently had his leg cast removed, but it has obviously healed enough to return the Rovehn Knight to his typical swagger. He is singing in his wonderful tenor, hands shoved in the pockets of his greatcoat. "Nights in white satin… never reaching the end… letters I've written… never meaning to send."

The sound of Lionel singing is not foreign to Rebecca. She turns and picks him out of the surrounding crowds. "MANE!" she shouts across the way. "Get your spectacular rear-end over here and help me convince Roy he's charging me too much!" She grins and Sophia giggles before making grabby hands at the lady with the white robes.

Babies. Nimara's eyes suddenly brighten, away long enough from the politics that create small tornadoes in her mind, and she raises a finger in the air, making a scritching motion towards the delighted child. She makes a soft approach, but her eyes first turn to Lionel, his soft singing. A small smile raises, though the song may be unfamiliar to her.

Without even missing a beat of his good ol' Valen song, Lionel adjusts his strides toward Bex and Roy. "Beauty I've always missed, with these eyes before… just what the truth is…. I can't say anymore." He initiates honest dramatics, pulling his hands out of his pockets to expand his arms to their max wingspan. "And I'll love you! Yes, I'll love you! Ohh-ohhh-oh-oh-oh!" And he draws his hands in his chest as he sways to the power ballad in his head. Then he straightens up, clearing his throat. "Roy, stop being a bitch." Then he tickles Sophia under her chubby toddler chin before he casts a boyish grin toward the Senator. "My Lady," he says, noble or not, he's not going to risk it.

Sophia grabs for the finger with the feisty spark she gained from her mother. Rebecca turns and chuckles. "Hello, sorry about that, she's at the 'grab everything that moves' stage. My house looks like robbers turned it over looking for something." She looks back at Lionel's impromptu hairband moment and rolls her eyes. But he has her back with Roy, who grunts and accepts the price she named. "Thanks Lie. Leg all healed up?"

Nimara doesn't not seem offended by the title and perhaps senators are confused with royalty on a regular business. Still, she shakes her head, a small piece of black hair falling just to the edge of her chocolate brown eyes. "Senator Demoore," she says in introduction and in correction. Looking to Rebecca, she smiles and says, "Your daughter is delightful."

Well. Puppies like outdoors. And also, she owes Sir Lionel a thank you! But the plains are vast and so Talayla takes a bit to find it all. Brave, the Jack Russell terrier is on a leash and harness and erhmahgawsh, SMELLS EVERYWHERE. Gonna nose that, sniff this, turn a circle! "Whoa, whoa-" She's trying a clicker. It's archaic, but it had a good book… Wait. Did she hear singing? There's a blink. That voice is familiar. Talayla and her dog head towards the Senator and the gathering. There IS a Lionel!

"Oh, you know… I had enough beautiful ladies come by and kiss my cheek, and that speeds up the healing process," Lionel says with a quirk of a grin before he leans down a bit to rub at the bit of thigh just above his left knee. Then he shrugs. "I think I'll be good to go in a couple more days. I missed going on the hunt with Jeremy in the Woods, but I hear the Arboren got their riff-raft cleared out." Riff-raft being their visiting Hostile population, of course. Lie grins toward Nimara as she approaches them fully, tossing back his coat tails with a dramatic flourish so he may tuck his hands into the pockets of his trousers. He smiles with a innocent, devilish quality toward the Senator. "And what a terrible liar you are, Lady… politicians are fat, old, and dour. You are a beauty, the Maid herself." And Lionel is nothing but trouble. And that's when he spots the terrier, and his Talayla.

"A pleasure Senator, Sergeant Rebecca Mordain. And this is Sophia." Rebecca bounces the baby on her hip and she squeals happily. She snorts at Lionel. "Well you missed a couple. Lieutenant Aelewen Arboren and I brought back to scout corpses this afternoon. They were in the bloody swamp." She wrinkles her nose. Not a fun place, the Forlorn Swamp. "They set traps."

"And you are clever, my Lord," Nimara says to Lionel, the flirtation at least earning him a smile, though no blush or anything more doting on the compliments. "Though I will say I am one of the smaller within the Senate seats." There, he earns a wink. Looking to Rebecca, she inclines her head enough to greet her. "Pleasure to meet you, Sergeant." She pauses to hear her words to Lionel, her teeth raking upon her lip.

Talayla smiles and waves as she and Brave are spotted by Lionel. It is apparent there's a little training gone on but the Orelle hasn't had a non-tankbound pet. Ever. She comes in towards the end of the speaking, though she pauses at talk of traps and meetings. There's an owlish blink. "Oh… I'm sorry. Er, I think I -" Wait. Wait no. Manners. What does - shoot. It is apparent that years of hermitude have done some damage to Talayla's social capabilities. Meanwhile, Brave is going to SNEEF. "No, Brave. Sit." At least he has /sit/ down.

"I'm not surprised," Lionel says dryly at the news that the Hostiles set a trap. "I received a message from Jeremy that explained the counter-ambush that the Arboren were met with in the Woods. The Hostiles are not mindless, that is for certain. They also insulted a Lord's procreation abilities." His eyes start to dance with mirth even while he maintains a sober expression. "It was an Orelle, I hear." Then his mouth starts to crack at the edges with a threat of smile. Of course, Talayla launches that smile into full glory as he steps forward to greet her and the little Rovehn mongrel she was gifted with. "My Lady, lovely seeing you in the Pale Horse. Have you met Sergeant Rebecca Mordain?" Introductions all around. Lionel looks toward Nimara, and he laughs in his warm tenor. "Senator, I am merely a Knight. Sir Lionel Keats, though you may call me Lionel if it suits." Then he looks down at the Pup Called Brave. "Have you been showing Lady Talayla around the Caravan?" Yes, he is talking to the dog.

"Insulted his sex life? Are you kidding me?" Rebecca asks Lionel with a flabbergasted look. When Talayla approaches, it's the puppy that gets the redhead's attention first. "Look Sophia, a dog. Can you say dog?" The baby points at the jack russel and yowls, "HORSIE!" Her mother sighs. "Still the only word she says. A pleasure, Lady Talayla." She grins at Nimara. "And don't mind this gigantic tease of a flirty man. He's married." She winks. Not realizing that could be read as married to HER. Gods forbid.

"Sir Lionel," Nimara says, looking to the man once more. Her eyes scan him — not in the physical, appreciation sort of way, but as an attempt of understanding — before she fancies him a grin. "We Senators love titles." Looking back to Rebecca, the woman chuckles softly. "Oh, I don't mind. Wouldn't be the first, but it's nice to be appreciated by strangers, I suppose." She looks then to Talayla and sighs wistfully. "I need a dog. Everyone should have a dog, right? My office has two fish and I'm not convinced they love me as much as they should."

Talayla listens to Lionel for now. She stifles a giggle at hearing that. Then a pause. She smiles. "Hello! I figured he would want to see some grass out in the wild," She nods. Brave, meanwhile has a wriggling tail and is going to sniff people unless they move away. "I haven't met them," She admits. Brave tilts his head at Lionel and arfs. He's not quite large enough for a woof just yet. "And um, the honor is all ours. Thank you for having us," She nods. She looks to Rebecca, amused by Sophia's response. Brave seems a little confused. "The pleasure is all mine." She seems amused. Talayla looks to Nimara. "This is my first time having a not-fish pet. I like my fishes, though. I'm teaching the Niveus ice fish Lord Ronan gave me to push little balls around their tank. They're cute." She is odd.

Lionel laughs in an earnest amusement. "To be honest… I found it, well, funny…" That broad, boyish smile pulls at his mouth. "Though I suppose that does suggest that some of them are quite capable at speaking our language." He grimaces then. "'Know Thy Enemy.'" Then he relaxes a bit toward Nimara, shrugging his broad shoulders. "You did come to the right place if you are looking for a dog, but Rovehn does not specialize in useless pets." He then starts to grin a bit more easily. "You are always welcome amongst the Caravans, Lady Talayla."

"Sophia will likely have a zoo when she gets a little older. I train animals. Hunting birds mostly, but whatever she wants, she'll get. I mean, who can say no to that face." Rebecca rubs her nose against the little girls and grins as she's smacked in the forehead with a pudgy palm. "HORSIE!" No, honey, mommy. I'm mommy."

At Sophia's declaration, Nimara can't help but to start laughing a little more loudly than she did the first time. Her shoulders now relaxing, she looks back to Lionel, nodding once. "I haven't been to the Caravan in months, and was lucky enough to have a meeting here. Maybe I'll spend some credits…" She then looks to Lady Talayla and inclines her head. "Lady Talayla, I don't think we've met. Senator Demoore."

"Everything is 'Horsie' to Sophia," Lionel comments to the non-Rovehn women. Then he shoves his hands back into the pockets of his greatcoat as he considers the foursome of women — yes, Sophia counts — that he has found company in. The lucky dog — and he isn't talking about Brave. "Are you just visiting, Senator Demoore, or are you planning on staying a couple days? The Plains would only be improved by your continued presence."

Aw. Talayla seems amused. "It's okay, I have a small ocean in my lair, I am sure," She considers. And now a doggie. She looks to Lionel. "Thank you, Sir Lionel. That is kind of you," She nods. She seems amused by Sophia calling her mom horsie. She stifles the giggle though. "Pleased to meet you, I - it is a pleasure." It is apparent that despite her nobility, Talayla is direly short of social talent. She's polite. Friendly. But someone took her out back and beat her with the awkward stick.

"How is Jeremy faring after that fight in Arboren?" Rebecca asks Lionel, holding a finger up for Sophia to grab. She promptly shoves it in her mouth to gnaw on. "She's cutting a new tooth, my little drool monster. I was hoping Jeremy might want to watch her for a few hours tonight or tomorrow so I can get a nap. She's been very fussy about sleeping with her gums bothering her." Talayla's awkwardness doesn't seem to bother the scout. Maybe she just thinks all nobles are a little daffy or something. "I bet Sophia would love to see your fish, Milady. And Senator, you are always welcome here. You're one of the voices of the people, after all."

Nimara works with blowhards who fillabust poetically. Awkwardness does not seem to phase her. In fact, the social strangeless of Lady Talayla seems to make her smile, and she merely nods. To Lionel's question, she pivots and looks to him. "I'm here for two days," she says, "for a few matters. But I'm a native Valen, so visiting is not difficult; it's just I haven't had the time as of late." She looks over to Rebecca and smiles again. "Has she been crying most of the night?"

The Mane rolls his shoulders a bit at the mention of Jeremy and his fight. "He took and gave his fair share," he says as casually as possible while hiding any true concern for his husband. "He's resting up in Arborenin." He does laugh then. "But you can always just chuck her through a Ways and he'll be on the other side to catch her. He'll enjoy the challenge of a teething baby."

Talayla is quiet, looking sympathetic towards Sophia. "There are lots. The ice fish are shiny blue silver. I'd not seen them before," She admits. She can't say who is welcome here, but she seems quietly polite. "My lab space is almost clean. I'm sure I can have visitors soon." She beams. She looks to Nimara, and smiles faintly, listening. Brave, however, is gonna see who wants to pet him. "Hey, okay, you can get close if they say so but no jumping up…" She has the clicker hand,y too. A smile to Lionel. "I hope he feels better soon, then."

Rebecca nods to Nimara. "She is, and she just won't be soothed. I've tried everything from pacifiers to a musical mobile, to rocking her. And after dragging a Hostile corpse a mile through the swamp today, I really need a few solid hours of sleep." She grimaces at Lionel. "I don't suppose you could manage her for a few hours? I know that's like a lifetime of alcohol-free celibacy for you, Lie, but I'd owe you one." She crouches down to scratch the dog behind the ears. "Hey there wiggle butt," she greets. Sophia whimpers at the finger being taken away. Drool. Drool.

Michael has once again done the amazing squire thing and finished all his tasks before most knights even get up. He decides to take a moment, and go deal with something he's been loathing doing… visiting the Caravans. After the rescue, Michael just couldn't go there, but he needs to get over it so he's here. Michael is taking a casual stroll through the market, eating frybread with cinnamon on it and making a complete mess on his lips nose and tunic.

Nimara tried to laugh delicately, to be more lady-like, but it comes out like a loud chortle at Rebecca's comment. She places her hand over her mouth which barely muffles the snort. "Oh, dear," she says and leans down. Maybe she can hide the fact that she just laughed so openly at Lionel that she'll pet the dog; her fingers snap, and she says, "C'mere!" in all excitement, until the wiggle-butt finds her hand. She'd rub his ears, if he allowed. "I need one just like you."

Lionel narrows his eyes at Rebecca. "You and Jeremy planned this, didn't you? Saddle Lie with 'Phia, that'll prepare him for fatherhood." He does seem to be taking this with a good-natured smile all the same though. "Fine, fine, I'll take her for a couple hours." Which means Jeremy will be on speed dial the entire time. He does smirk a bit toward Nimara at her chortle, and he is shameless enough to stick out his tongue at her. "Quiet, Senator… or I'll turn you into my babysitting buddy."

Brave wiggles more at the scratchings. Aw yiss. Talayla seems aused. "I think he likes it," She grins. "His name is Brave, by the way. Though, I wonder if Wiggly might've been better," She considers. There's a pause as someone is coming up. Barton straightens at the fingersnap and he wiggle-walks as puppies do to her hand, too. TWO scritches. Oh boy! Just - just - gotta sniff and lick that hand now! "Let me know if he's too much," Talayla smiles. "I'm learning to train him, too." She seems amused by the talk of parent hood. "Raising a kid seems really tough… people are complex."

Rebecca gives Lionel a relieved smile and she rises to pass him the rugrat with the red curls. "Babies are chick magnets anyway. Just tell them you're a single dad, raising her on your own. You'll have to beat them off with a stick." She grins and leans up to kiss the massive flirt's cheek. "Thank you. I mean that. Now, sleep. I need some." She turns to the others. "It was a pleasure to meet you both, Senator, Lady Talayla. Please enjoy your visit. Maybe we can meet for a meal at the tavern tomorrow. And it's not so bad when you're not doing it alone." With that, the scout turns and heads off towards the ramp up to the neighborhood blocks.

Lionel does his best not to mention how raising kids is going to cramp his style too. He does look up as he spies Michael, and he flashes the man an idle wave. Then he flashes a grin toward Rebecca. "I'll keep that in mind." And he casually watches Bex leave until he turns his attention back toward the others. "I actually do have a night patrol to get to. Ladies, if you will excuse me?"

The dog's ears are scritched merrily. Nimara doesn't make any sounds towards the creature, but her eyes light up nonetheless and she even girlishly giggles at its uninhibited joy. "You are precious, do you know that?" she asks and soon stands once Rebecca takes her leave. Smiling to her, she says, "I would love to, Sergeant." She turns then to Lionel, nodding with a smile. "Pleasure to meet you, Sir Lionel."

Michael walks just past something, and stops to blink. He turns, and Lionel's holding a baby… Michael waves to the odd sight as he takes off too. He makes his way over to the group. "Well, that's an odd sight to see." Then he notes Nimara and the dog and smiles, "Senator Demoore, wonderful to see you again. How are you?"

"Thank you for Brave, by the way." She waves to Lionel. "Farewell," She smiles to Rebecca. "The pleasure is all mine," She nods. "I might be around, I think." Talayla is a flighty one on a good day. Barton keeps his tail and hind end a waggle. He barks at the question. She looks to Michael and waves back.